SB 341 
.T79 
Dopy 1 



SB 341 
.T79 
Copy 1 



UNITED STATES GRADES FOR 
BERMUDA ONIONS 

RECOMMENDED BY THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT 
OF AGRICULTURE 

HARTLEY E. TRUAX 

Investigator in Marketing 




UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
DEPARTMENT CIRCULAR 97 



Contribution from Bureau of Markets 
GEORGE LIVINGSTON. Chief 



Washington, D. C. », ,„„„ 

May, 1920 



WASHINGTON : GOVERNMENT PRINTINQ OFFICE : 19:0 



UNITED STATES GRADES FOR BERMUDA ONIONS. 

Recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture. 



The Bureau of Markets of the United States Department of Agri- 
culture recommends the following gTades as a standard for grading 
and marketing Bermuda onions in the United States. ■ They are the 
result of investigations by the United States Bureau of Markets 
covering a period of four years. 

Grades for Texas Bermuda onions were recormnended in the spring 
of 1918 by the United States Bureau of Markets, promulgated by 
the 35th Texas State Legislature, and used as a basis for inspection 
by the Texas State Department of Agriculture and by the Food 
Products Inspection Service of the United States Bureau of Markets. 
For two seasons the operation of these grades was observed by the 
representatives of the Bureau of Markets and the investigations 
were extended into California and Florida. As a result of these 
investigations, some changes have been made in U. S. Grade No. 2, 
U. S. Grade Boilers, and U. S. Grade No. 3, which, it is believed, 
will make the grades satisfactory standards for the Bermuda onion 
trade. 

U. S. Grade No. 1. 

U. S. Grade No. 1 shall consist of sound onions of one variety 
which are mature, bright, well-shaped, free from doubles, splits, 
bottle-necks, and seed-stems, and practically free from damage 
caused by dirt or other foreign matter, moisture, sunburn, cuts, dis- 
ease, insects, or by mechanical or other means. The diameter shall 
not be less than two inches. 

In order to allow for variations incident to commercial grading 
and handling, six per centum by weight of any lot need not meet the 
foregoing requirements of this grade. In the case of yellow onions, 
not more than five per centum by weight of any lot may be noticeably 
pink. 

If any lot which meets the requirements of this grade contains 
more than ten per centum by weight of onions with a diameter of 
three and one-half inches or more, the grade name shall be " U. S. 
Grade No. 1 Large." 

U. S. Grade No. 2. 

U. S. Grade No. 2 shall consist of sound onions of one variety not 
meeting the requirements of U. S. Grade No. 1, which are free from 
doubles, splits, bottle-necks, and aegd-stems, and practically free from 

2 ' ■'■ 

175324°— 20 



^ -^'^ United States Grades for Bermuda Onions. 3 

\^ * 

1^^ "damage caused by moisture, sunburn, cuts, disease, insects, or me- 

jt «hanical means. The dianieter shall not be less than two inches. 
. ^ In order to allow for variations incident to commercial grading and 
^iL handling, ten per centum by weight of any lot may be below the re- 
^<juirements of this grade. 

If any lot which meets the requirements of this grade contains 
more than ten per centum by weight of onions with a diameter of 
three and one-half inches or more, the grade name shall be " U. S. 
Grade Xo. 2 Large." 

If any lot wdiich meets the requirements of U. S. Grade Xo. 2 or 
U. S. Grade No. 2 Large contains more than ten per centum by 
weight of noticeably pink onions, the ffi'ade name shall be "U. S. 
Grade No. 2 Pink '"' or " U. S. Grade No. 2 Large, Pink," as the 
case mav be. 

U. S. Grade Boilers. 

U. S. Grade Boilers shall consist of sound onions of one variety 
which are free from doubles, splits, bottle-necks, and seed-stems, and 
practically free from damage caused by moisture, sunburn, cuts, dis- 
ease, insects, or mechanical means. The diameter shall not be less 
than one inch nor more than two inches. 

In order to allow for variations incident to commercial grading 
and handling, six per centum by weight of any lot may be below the 
requirements of this grade. 

U. S. Grade No. 3. 

U. S. Grade No. 3 shall consist of onions which do not meet the 
requirements of any of the foregoing grades. 

Definition of Grade Terms. 

As used in these grades : 

" Sound " means free from water-soaked, decayed, sprouted, or 
otherwise unsound onions. 

" Mature " means having reached a stage of development at which 
the onions are firm — not soft or spongy. 

" Bright " means having the normal, attractive, pearly luster of 
Bermuda onions. 

"Well shaped" means having the general appearance of being 
round — not three, four, or five sided, or badly pinched by dry, hard 
soil, or thick necked, but need not be of the exact, typical flat Ber- 
muda shape. 

" One variety " means one variety or type, such as the Crystal 
Wax or White Bermuda (white), or Yellow Bermuda (yellow), and 
not a mixture of different varieties or types. 

" Practically free from damage " means that the appearance shall 
not be injured to an extent readily apparent upon casual examina- 
tion. 

" Sunburn " means discoloration or other damage due to exposure 
to the sun, but does not mean the green color running down the 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



022 265 738 6 

4 Department Circular 97, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. 

"veins" in the Crystal Wax or White Bermuda (white) variety 
unless such green color covers the surface between the veins. 

" Diameter " means the greatest dimension at right angles to a 
straight line running from the stem to the root. 

" Noticeably pink " means the pink color often found in the Yel- 
low Bermuda variety which is so conspicuous as to be readily ap- 
parent upon casual examination of the lot. 



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